


Aniki

by DrivvenWrinth



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-25
Updated: 2015-11-25
Packaged: 2018-05-03 08:53:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5284508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrivvenWrinth/pseuds/DrivvenWrinth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brothers, you don't get to choose yours. You don't get a say in who they are and often, you don't get a say in how they turn out. Family.... make no mistake; your path is tied to theirs and theirs to yours. It can be a tangled mess of best and worst intentions and sometimes, all you can do is try to forge your own way. Friends are easier, you get to pick them and they pick you. Hopefully, you make the right choices to help you out when you need it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aniki

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FairyNiamh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyNiamh/gifts).



> Warnings: M/M Explicit Angst Betrayal Love WAFF Hurt/Comfort Unusual Pairings More to come as the story evolves
> 
> I gift this to FairyNiamh, without whom I would not have written it or any others. My Fandom Sister, My Writing Pal, my Cheerleader, my Shoulder to Cry On; and a Piece of my Soul I missed for soo long and could not have gone through all my troubles without. I Love you Sissa

“So…,” there was a long pause and everyone prayed Kiba would just stop there. Of course, he didn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t. Nope, he took a deeply disturbed breath and dove right in, “he’s a little lighter in the sandals than most huh?”

“Kiba!!” Ino swatted at him. He dodged easily.

“What? Everyone was thinking it!”

The girls all huffed and scolded him in unison. Not Hinata, of course, but the others really let him have it. He shook it off, like Akamaru in a rain shower. “Seriously Neji, why haven’t we heard about this ‘cousin’ of yours before?”

Hinata averted her face, half-hiding behind Shino. Neji’s facial expression was tense, but his voice was steady, in spite of the obvious surge of emotion he was trying unsuccessfully to conceal. “We have never met before. His guardian passed away recently. Now he is here.” It obviously was not as simple as the young man tried to make it seem.

Naruto didn’t mean to make things worse, but he really did have a knack for it. He had that far off look on his face as he stated another obvious fact. “You know, besides the eye color, he looks a lot like you. I mean… you can really tell you’re related.”

Neji’s face flushed a deep and searing crimson. The shade was reminiscent of a lobster for a few moments before he took a calming breath. “Yes, we are related.” He took another calming breath. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak to Professor Gai before he leaves campus." It was a blatant excuse. The stiff back and hurried stride as he hurried away from them was definitely, was what one would call a ‘hasty retreat’.

Everyone, not truly meaning to, turned to Hinata as one; trying to figure out what could have upset their normally stoic associate. The timid woman shrunk further into her jacket; and tried to disappear altogether in Shino’s shadow. No one, asked any questions. It just seemed too cruel to harass her any further.

Kiba had always had a soft spot for the quiet girl and a bit of an attitude where Neji was concerned. He stretched his arms up and sighed, drawing the unwanted attention away from his sweet friend. “Well, let’s hope this new Hyuuga pretty boy’s more fun to have around than ‘stick up his ass’…”

“Neji’s not that bad.” Naruto always came to his defense and Kiba never could understand why. He rolled his eyes at his blond friend.

“So…” Chouji hazarded a question. “Who’s hungry?” He effectively changed the subject. Ino swatted at him and had better luck with her assault than she had with Kiba. Her hand landed on his huge bicep as she chided him for his never-ending appetite. Everyone laughed and started joking with each other. The entire atmosphere around the little group shifted, lightening and brightening as they moved away enmasse.

Haku shifted from behind the tree where he’d been quietly observing his 'cousins', and their obviously tight-knit group of friends. He watched them walk away for a bit, before his gaze was pulled in the direction his ‘otouto’ had gone.

 

He’d known about Neji for a very long time and it had come as a surprise when he learned that Neji had known nothing about him. Hisashi Hyuuga’s ‘love child’ had been kept a secret from the world for his entire life. His father was dead, and besides him, Neji was the only one he’d ever even thought about before. He’d always assumed that someone would have told Neji something before now. The look of betrayal and hurt in Neji’s eyes when their Hisashi Hyuuga had broken the news had pierced Haku’s gentle heart almost as much as his mother’s last breath had.

When his guardian, Zabuza took him from her side to begin the second half of his secret life, he’d just begun grade school. Neji was a year younger than him, just barely. Even so, it had always pleased Haku to know that he was someone’s Aniki. It made him feel less alone in the world.

Their father died a year after his mother; and Haku had asked to meet Neji. He had so very much wanted to be a good big brother and take care of his otouto. He didn’t want Neji to be lonely. Zabuza had explained that it was impossible, that it would shame his father’s memory and right after the funeral, it would not have been a good thing. Haku had accepted that he couldn’t meet Neji then, but he’d promised his young self and that part of his heart he’d already given to Neji; that someday, someday he would be there for his otouto.

This certainly wasn’t what he’d wanted or hoped for. Zabuza’s sudden heart attack had left him with no one. Rather than pay another person to look after his brother’s bastard until Haku graduated from college, their uncle had sent people to get Haku and bring him to Konoha. He was enrolled in the same university as Neji and Hinata, and given a small apartment. It was very near both the University, in a little upper class neighborhood; that was owned and occupied completely by members of the large Hyuuga family.

Overnight, Haku had gone from an unknown and unnoticed orphan, to the oldest, yet illegitimate, son of Hisashi Hyuuga; and nephew of the ‘Head’ of the Hyuuga family, and now, somehow a part all their business endeavors. They had not made the official announcement yet. He’d only just arrived. There would be ‘an official announcement to the press’ soon, or so Hizashi had told him.

It had been, and still was, a lot to take in, but he’d been so excited, and so determined to finally be Neji’s brother in person. Neji had not taken the news well; and things were beyond strained and uncomfortable between them.

Neji had introduced him to those people, those people who were obviously very important to him. However, he had not introduced him as his 'aniki'; he’d introduced Haku as his ‘cousin’ and in the most awkward and unhappy way possible. Haku had wanted to cry and disappear; it was obvious what Neji wished he would.

He knew he was effeminate in carriage and in feature. What the shaggy brunette had said didn’t bother him one bit. It was something he’d dealt with his whole live. Zabuza had been a manly man, but he’d never once let Haku feel bad about who or how he was.

 

Zabuza had known Haku’s mother nearly all her life. He’d been her employer and a Hyuuga contractor for years. He knew everything about her, Hisashi, and Neji. That had been the main selling point that had made him the perfect choice of guardian for the unwanted boy. As far as the Hyuuga family had been concerned, their first concern had been discretion; the child’s well-being had been second to that.

Zabuza had treated him well and encouraged him to strive for greatness. He was actually well accomplished in martial arts, sports, and academics; but everyone judged him by his femininity. Zabuza had said ‘It’s because you have her looks. She glowed from inside with a special light, and everyone either adored her or they were jealous of her. Either way boy, they all misjudged her, all of them. You are exactly like her.’ He would pat Haku’s head and whisper almost too quietly for the boy to hear soft exhaled breath. ‘Stronger and better than they’ll ever know.’

Zabuza seemed to have loved Haku’s mom, and when he would compare him to her, Haku felt loved by proxy. He leaned against the tree, closed his eyes and tried to picture that soft glow inside that had always helped him through difficulties. He could feel eyes upon him, there had always been eyes upon him. There would be a lot more turning his way in the next few weeks. He gathered his strength, pushed away from the tree, and opened his eyes. They met another pair of dark orbs that smoldered with the red glow of an ember just waiting to catch fire.

“You’re new.” A voice like velvet chocolate murmured. The sound seemed to swirl around Haku, and dance along his skin leaving a trail of gooseflesh in its wake. Haku shivered a little. “What’s your name pretty one?”

He pulled his focus from the eyes to the face. It was a nice face, attractive, handsome; almost beautiful in the way a man was beautiful. Haku had accepted his sexual orientation at an early age and this man piqued a very dangerous interest. This alluring man must have seen something amusing in Haku’s expression, because his pale lips twisted into a mischievously arrogant smirk. A long arm reached up to grab a low hanging branch. He leaned in towards Haku, forcing the shorter man to tilt his head up even more instinctively. “Are you mute, lovely?”

Haku smiled for the first time since Zabuza’s death. “I can speak. What would you like to hear?”

One lovely dark eyebrow of Haku’s perfectly beautiful face quirked playfully. A wicked little smile graced his sweet pink lips. He liked wit and banter, it was a pleasant distraction and the eye candy wasn’t bad either.

His companion’s smirk deepened. “Sometimes, words are overrated. Don’t you agree, Minx?”

A blush tinted Haku’s pale cheeks, as he smiled dismissively, “I give no name, so you name me, like a pet? Do I look in need of a home to you, sir?”

The man chuckled obviously enjoying their little exchange. It was a dark pleasant sound that fluttered Haku’s stomach and spread warmth across his nether regions. Those smoldering eyes bored through him and recognized his responses, he was certain of it. “Oh little one, you do not look homeless.” He paused and leaned a little closer to whisper, “but should you wish to have a little extra ‘care’ or even perhaps a ‘keeper’, you may call me Itachi.”

His voice swirled Haku’s stomach more and sent wonderful shivers all across his flesh. The warmth in his lower abdomen turned into a tingling sensation. “Well then, should I be in need of such, I will keep you in mind.” Haku smirked in return.

“Yes, doll. You’ll add me to the list of many other offers, I’m sure.” This ‘Itachi’ grinned evilly as he leaned back and resumed a normal stance. “You might, however, want to push me to the top. I’m a very ‘attentive’ and ‘enjoyable’ keeper.” He winked before turning to leave. Haku bit his lip as he watched the man leave, getting a better view of his physique. He was lean and it added an impression of ‘length’ to him, he seemed to move like a thoroughbred with grace and power in every stride. He also had a nice ass. Haku had a thing for tight, toned buttocks.

He shook himself to clear the misty feeling from his head. He had things to do. He needed to get back to the apartment and clean up before looking for a job. The Hyuuga’s may have paid for his care all these years, but Zabuza was not the kind of man to raise a ‘lazy ass’. So, he had held down a job and attended school whenever the school rules did not prohibit it, and when they did, then he had worked for Zabuza’s construction company. He would not disgrace the man’s memory by becoming one of those ‘silver spoon brats’.

Haku needed to find a job that would work around his class schedule. He hadn’t discussed this with Hizashi. Something told him that the man would not approve, but in this case, he would deal with whatever fallout came ‘after’ he started working. Zabuza had often said, ‘sometimes it’s easier to beg forgiveness, than it is to ask permission; also, once something is done, it’s done’. Besides, he couldn’t stand to spend too much time alone in his new apartment. If he did, he knew he would just end up thinking about and worrying over things that he could not change, as well as worrying about things he couldn’t do anything about right now. That would be a waste of time and energy, another thing Zabuza hadn’t been fond of. He adjusted his book bag on his slender shoulder and headed across the sprawling campus toward his new ‘home.

His newfound ‘friend’ watched him pass by the last building on that side of the campus and smiled. Things might be a little more interesting for a while. It had been a little stagnant around this place lately. Itachi was easily bored. There really was only one person who could hold his attention for long and that person seemed to materialize with that very thought, just like always. “Aniki! I told you to meet me at the bench by the trees, why the hell are you all the way over here?!”

Itachi turned his gaze upon his fuming otouto and those smoldering eyes became warm and soft. As irritating as Sasuke could be, as arrogant, demanding, and quick to temper tantrums, his forever sulking little brother was a piece of him. That was a bond that could not be severed, not for Itachi. “I saw something sweet.” He stated enigmatically.

Sasuke hated it when he was like that. It amused Itachi to irritate him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” His adorable ‘mini me’ huffed.

“Didn’t we agree to eat together now? If I had indulged, I might not have been able to go with you after all. So,” he grinned and tapped one long finger against his little brother’s anger creased forehead, “I had to remove myself from the temptation.”

“You’re being a pervert again, aren’t you?” Sasuke frowned, attempting a disapproving glare. Itachi almost laughed aloud and could only grin wickedly at his ‘pure’ little otouto for chastising his legendary sexual appetite. “Whatever, I’m hungry let’s go.”

Itachi bowed subserviently for Sasuke to pass him and lead the way to his car. The smirk on his face was far from servile. Sasuke rolled his eyes and huffed. He hated the way Itachi always poked fun at him. It was what little brothers did when big brothers did what, well what big brothers do.

Naruto was sitting in the middle of the large booth, between Chouji and Shika who had immediately taken the inside seat. Shika was currently staring out the window at the clouds, by all appearances completely ignoring everyone. The girls had decided to take a separate booth and due to how busy it was, they were seated on the other side of the café. Naruto was not sad about this. As a matter of fact, it was a very good thing those female hawks weren’t at the same table. Kiba was sitting opposite him having an argument with Sai and Lee. Shino had a late lab, so it was just the six of them.

Shikamaru was such a prick. He really knew how to exploit a situation. Naruto bit the inside of his lip and tried for the third time since being seated to pry the normally lazy deviant’s hand from his crotch. That hand tightened around Naruto’s already half hard dick and squeezed in retribution until he admitted defeat and once again stopped trying to interfere with the prick’s nefarious intent.

Shikamaru’s head was propped up on his left hand as he gazed out the window. His right hand was stroking his boyfriend’s dick, tickling and teasing the stiffening shaft and sensitive head through the thin cloth of Naruto’s favorite orange sweats. When Naruto failed in his fourth attempt to pry his hand away, Shika had to turn his head into the other, just to hide his grin. He was almost to the point of laughing out loud. He was going to pay for this later of course, but he was bored.

It wasn’t long before Naruto was starting to squirm next to him. His dick was rock hard beneath Shikamaru’s unusually energetic hand. A damp spot was forming in the soft cloth at the tip of that hard thick rod. Those naughty hips were starting to rock, thrusting into Shika’s hand now. The food had been served and no one had even noticed that Naruto wasn’t eating any. Kiba and Chouji were fighting over the meat as if it was the last few strips of barbeque in the entire world. It was getting heated and nasty. Lee was trying to mediate in his own odd way. Sai was smiling that strange ‘not a real smile’ of his and just watching the show. Naruto was very glad the penis obsessed pervert was missing the real show going on in his pants right then.

When he just couldn’t take it anymore, Naruto tried to get Chouji’s attention to let him out so he could make a break for the bathroom. The big man didn’t hear him, he was too focused on Kiba. Naruto tried again without success. Shika’s devilish hand was still stroking him and his own wanton hips were rocking forward and back, Naruto lost all decorum and yelled, very loudly. “Chouji! Move your ass outta my way, I have diarrhea!”

The restaurant became very quiet. Naruto wanted to die of embarrassment and take Shika with him, but right now, what he needed was a little privacy. He shoved the stunned giant to get him moving. Chouji slid out of the booth and Naruto was up, out, and sprinting toward the restroom with an awkward gait before anyone could blink. Shika did laugh as he stopped Chouji from sitting down, “Hey, while you’re up, I think I’ll go take a piss.”

Kiba made a horrified face, “Dude, you don’t wanna be in there with him right now.”

Shika shrugged and followed his embarrassed, aroused, pissed-off, and very hot boyfriend to the restroom.

Itachi and Sasuke were both just entering the restaurant when Naruto made his little outburst. Sasuke went white and then bright red before regaining his ‘cool’ composure. Itachi laughed softly. Naruto was always good for a chuckle and the way his antics got under Sasuke’s skin was even more amusing. No one could pull emotion from Sasuke quite like his weird blond friend.

The two of them were seated and ordering drinks by the time Shikamaru was forcing the lock on the stall door open. Naruto was in there, stroking and fingering himself while growling at Shika for being ‘a prick, a fucking prick, a fucking stupid selfish pervert, prick’. Luckily the bathroom was empty and would probably stay that way until the other patrons saw the young blond man exit.

Shika got the door open and latched it again behind himself. He leaned back against the door and smiled. “Hi sexy.”

Naruto pulled two spit and precum slicked fingers out of his hole and used one to flip him off. That made Shika laugh again. “Oh come on, I barely touched you. You get so hot when you think we might get caught. It was just too good an opportunity.”

Naruto didn’t answer him. One hand slid up and down his erection, while those slicked fingers worked his little hole aggressively. He was panting now and trying to ignore the perverted bastard. That wasn’t easy since the prick wouldn’t shut up. “You’re hole looks so hungry, it’s swallowing three fingers like they’re nothing.”

Naruto’s cock suddenly got harder in his hand. He let out an odd little whine. He both loved and hated it when Shika talked like that. “You look so hot right now.” Shikamaru unzipped his pants and pulled out his own rock hard cock. He started stroking it as he watched Naruto fingering his slutty hole and stroking his swollen twitching dick. “I love watching you do yourself. You get so rough with that naughty little ass of yours. Dig deeper baby, you’re not gonna reach it like that.”

Naruto’s breath was harsh as he sat hunched over on the toilet, one leg up on the rail, working one hand on his aching cock, and thrusting and twisting three fingers inside his greedy asshole. It wasn’t enough. His ass felt so empty it was almost painful. Shikamaru knew. He knew what his baby needed. He knew what his sweet slut wanted. He knew Naruto better than most. “It’s not enough is it baby? Your fingers just can’t reach your sweet spot, can’t hit it just right.”

He pushed off the wall and whispered in a coaxing tone, “Stand up Baby. Stand up and turn your ass to me.” Naruto didn’t hesitate, didn’t think about where they were; didn’t care. He needed to cum and for that, he needed Shika’s long hard cock thrusting, pounding his aching hole.

Shikamaru, genius that he was, was prepared. He pulled a condom and a little tube of lubricant from his pocket. Naruto looked back when he heard the condom wrapper being torn open. “No,” he protested. He liked it raw and the best thing about a committed relationship was the ability to fuck flesh to flesh. In this case, he knew Shika was actually just being polite. It could be awkward to get a big load of cum up your ass in a public place; but seriously, they were in a bathroom. For a smart guy; sometimes Shika was kind of dumb.

“I want it inside.” The blond insisted as he turned around and put his hands on the wall and spread his legs wider. “I want it now!” He was sick of waiting.

“My, aren’t we a demanding slut today.” Shika chuckled as he smeared lube on his bare erection and pressed the tip against Naruto’s soft opening. “But then, you’re a demanding slut every day, aren’t you Baby?” He thrust forward hard and deep and at just the right angle. Naruto had to clamp his jaw shut tight to hold back the surprised, yet very pleasured moan. Shika kept talking, “I love how slutty you are for me Naru.”

He was starting to pant, thrusting hard and fast and oh so deeply into that tight, soft, scorching heat that was his boyfriend’s body. Naruto welcomed him, cradled him, undulated around him as he moved in and out, pounding hard into the blond’s sweet spot. Naruto would not last long at this pace and thanks to his lover’s heavenly embrace; Shika wouldn’t be far behind him. “Oh fuck, Baby. I love you. I love this. My sweet slutty… Oh fuck yes, that’s it! Move your ass Baby, yeah, fuck me. Fuck my dick with your sweet hole! Oh fuck, fuck, fuck… Agghh, Nnnnn, Mmnmnn! Hah, hah, of fuck…”

Naruto had started to rock his hips, increasing the drag inside his ass, his inner walls were rubbing the underside and tip of Shika’s dick. Grinding the head of his boyfriend’s cock against his sweet spot, pushing them both to orgasm. His walls clamped down and began to convulse as he shot stream after stream of white fluid into the toilet beneath him. “Cummnnn, Nnnn!”

Shika’s orgasm was only a fraction of a second behind him. His thick cum spurting from his cock into the depths of the most amazing lover he’d ever had and a man he’d do just about anything to keep. Fucking in a public restroom was not really a ‘Shikamaru’ sort of thing to do, but he’d been thinking about ways to keep their love life interesting, to keep Naruto ‘interested’. On top of that, Naruto had a way of infecting people with his spontaneity. Shikamaru was not immune.

His softening dick slipped out of Naruto’s sweet body as he stepped back to lean against the door again trying to catch his breath. Naruto might be the death of him someday, but there was no better way to go in his opinion. The blond turned to face him, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him forward for a deeply passionate kiss. The blissful expression on his face was deceptive. He hauled back and let fly a very effective sucker punch to his boyfriend’s gut. Shika doubled over and Naruto was kind enough the catch him and hold him steady until he could stand again. The blond was grinning and his blue eyes were full of love and mischief. “I won’t say I didn’t enjoy it, but next time if I try to stop you more than a couple times, I really, really mean it. So pay attention and fucking stop when I really want you to. Got it Genius?”

Shika coughed and nodded, “Whatever you want.”

Naruto kissed his cheek. “Love you,” he half chuckled.

Shikamaru kissed him back. “Love you too.”

“Okay, get the hell out, ‘cause I am not doing ‘the rest’, with you watching here.”

Shikamaru pulled a fake pout. "You let me watch at home….”

Naruto growled, “Seriously, get out.”

Shika wiped his dick clean, or as clean as possible using dry toilet paper, tucked himself away, zipped up, and went to wash his hands. Naruto took a seat and did what ‘cleanup’ he could. Shikamaru waited for him. “You okay to walk?”

The blond laughed, “You’re joking right? That little bit isn’t enough to do that Silly.”

They made their way back to the table. Naruto had forgotten about his embarrassing outburst until he noticed everyone watching him with odd looks on their faces. “I should have hit you harder,” he whispered to the prick who’d started it all.

“Later my love.” Shika laughed as they approached the table.

Kiba was a little green in complexion as he regarded Naruto. “Dude, if you’re sick, stay the hell away from me, okay?”

“I love you too asshole.” Naruto growled. The friendly bickering started again, this time between Naruto and Kiba. Kiba always seemed to be in the middle of these things. He was a catalyst. When he was around there was always a higher intensity of energy, not always discord, but it was always more interesting when he was present.

“Do you want to join them?” Itachi asked after a particularly long pause in their conversation, due to Sasuke’s inability to keep his attention from that rambunctious group a few tables away. His brother blinked at him, completely oblivious. “You keep looking over there and haven’t touched your food,” Itachi gestured to the plate and then to himself, “and I stopped talking about five minutes ago. You didn’t notice.”

Again he got to see his adorable, in his opinion at least, little brother go pale and then bright red. It reminded him of when Sasuke had been little and not ‘too cool’ to show such cute expressions. Sasuke shook his head.

“Why would I want to be around that noisy mess?” That was Sasuke’s way of saying, ‘but they didn’t ask me.’ It was a little sad, but Itachi knew a lot of Sasuke’s problems stemmed from being far more socially awkward than he’d ever admit to anyone, especially himself. People misunderstood him because of it and his refusal to deal with that just made things worse.

“I wouldn’t wait to be asked. Sometimes you have to step up on your own otouto.”

“I’m not you, and I don’t need you lecturing me either!” Sasuke hissed almost hatefully. There was a lot of jealousy and hurt in his eyes. He was jealous and it hurt him to be. It hurt to feel such a dirty feeling about someone he loved and it hurt him to know he felt that way because he was always somehow ‘less’ than his aniki. Itachi frowned at him, hurt in his eyes as well.

“I didn’t mean to,” He was interrupted by a female voice hollering from across a sea of tables.

“Sasuke!” That redhaired girl was waving her arms in a very unappealing way.

The bleach blond beside her was just as bad, hollering, “We didn’t see you come in! Come sit with us!”

Sasuke turned a little green. His fan club had always creeped him out, he just tried not to let on about it. Itachi gave both girls a searing Uchiha glare that should have scorched the flesh from their bones. They continued unfazed. Females were truly amazingly; horrifyingly scary creatures and this batch seemed to take the cake.

Another voice boomed out, overriding the girls’ twittering voices. “Shut it! No one wants to come sit with you Harpies!!” Kiba was glaring at them and amazingly, that actually seemed to stop them. Perhaps they thought the eldest Uchiha too ‘princely’ to wallop their backsides, but every one of them knew Kiba would not handle them as the delicate flowers they thought themselves to be.

It had always astounded Kiba how most women wanted to be seen as a Barney Bad-ass until they didn’t, and it was just supposed to be okay to play the double standard like that. He’d been raised by a different breed of women and he had no problem smacking either of those twits hard on the ass like spoiled children if they stepped up to him. He wasn’t abusive, and never meant to hurt more than their egos or anything. It had all started with the way they bashed Chouji and Naruto. He’d taken to standing up for them and now, it was a force of habit to rise up whenever they were being mean or even annoying.

Sasuke stared at him open mouthed. There was a sense of awe and something Itachi couldn’t quite name in his little brother’s expression. It turned to true shock when the wild haired brunette turned to him. “If he wants to, he’ll join us. Not you, right Sasuke?”

All the little raven could do was give a terse nod before turning back to his aniki. “Huh,”

Itachi smiled at Sasuke. “that solves that problem. And the one before it.” It took Sasuke a minute to flash back to their rudely interrupted conversation. He flushed awkwardly; Uchiha’s did not apologize well. It was a truly ugly thing to see most of the time. It was worse when it was one of their own they owed that apology to. Itachi ruffled his hair and smiled. “Get going.”

Sasuke smiled and nodded his thanks as he picked up his plate and headed for the booth. There was some grumbling from the other side of the restaurant, but it abated quickly when the watchdog shot them another glare.

Kiba stood up, pushed Lee out of the booth, and pulled Sai out behind him. Sai tried to slide in behind him again, but Kiba grabbed the creepy little perv by the scruff of the neck and growled. Sasuke irritated him with his arrogant attitude, but Kiba wasn't about to be the one to blame for Sai being all over him. The penis obsessed pervert was almost as bad as the girls. Kiba grabbed a chair and put it at the end of the booth, then took the place Sai had coveted. He pointed to the chair and gave the pale man a glare as he pointed to it, "You get the end perv."

No one saw Sasuke blush and hide his face by looking out the window, no one but his niisan. That was all the confirmation Itachi needed. He was both happy and a little irritated. He wanted Sasuke to be happy, and his antics in the presence of his little crush were adorable, but the thought of letting anyone else become important in his otouto wasn't something he could ever be happy about. Itachi signaled for the bill with mixed feelings and wondered what he should do with the rest of his evening.

Sasuke made eye contact with Shikamaru. The smug look on the lazy bastard's face made him uneasy. Had he seen? Sasuke wasn't ready to admit to himself just how any non-negative attention from Naruto's boisterous friend made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The last thing he needed was for someone else to notice, especially Naruto's smart-mouthed boyfriend. For someone who always ranked near the top in his classes, Sasuke sort of missed the fact that he'd just admitted to himself the thing he really wasn't ready to admit with that very line of thought. Sasuke was something of an expert in denial.

Shikamaru hadn't noticed Sasuke's little slip. He was replaying earlier events and planning more fun for later. Naruto was easily bored and Shika wasn't about to let his lover ever have a reason to complain about that. His plotting continued long after Sasuke joined them. Even through another round of Kiba and Chouji fighting over food, this time it was the dessert.

Itachi found himself wandering the shopping and restaurant district that was nearly completely supported by the college’s student community. He wandered through the maze of kiosks and stalls beneath the sheltered walkway at the center and really paid no attention to the people stopping and staring as he passed. He was used to being watched and noticed, even when people didn’t know his identity. He accepted that he stood out and here, everyone knew him.

He floated through the crowds like a piece of paper on the breeze, paying no more attention to them than he would a speck of dust. His mind drifted through the day backwards. The revelation that his cute little Sasuke was blushing like a young bride in the presence of that Inuzuka kid was unsettling. Sasuke was actually their uncle’s true favorite. Itachi’s real job was to keep the attention off his otouto so that Sasuke wouldn’t be targeted by the other members of the family seeking to get ahead in their multi-million dollar family business. Being an Uchiha wasn’t a simple thing, nothing was ever as it seemed at first glance. It could be far more difficult being gay and the heir to all that mess. Itachi knew that well. He’d tried to set Sasuke up well enough in that respect. Compared to Itachi’s lascivious sex life, Sasuke would still be the better option, gay or not.

 

Being a Hyuuga wasn’t an easy thing either, even with all he’d endured as the orphan outcast of the family, living like a visitor in his uncle’s house, Neji hadn’t imagined that his one glimpse of freedom would be snatched away by some stranger. Not just any stranger, but the child of his father’s mistress.

 

Neji had been too young when his parents had passed away to understand many things. He didn’t know that their marriage was strained. He had always imagined they had loved each other. He knew what loveless marriages looked like. The Hyuuga clan was filled with them. He thought that sort of thing took time. That a chasm grew up between the pair after years of disagreements. Neji had been born a year and a half after his parents wedding day. He had always thought he was a product of love.

 

Now, to find out that his father had a child with his mistress only a short time after his parents had married and that his father had named that child as his first heir. It was all too much to take. He was not a child born of love and he would never be free. As the older brother, Haku would take control of his father’s portion of the company. He would take his father’s seat on the board, the one Hizashi had held in proxy all these years, supposedly for Neji. Haku would be Neji’s guardian legally as soon as the announcements were made. Haku, who had never grown up in the seething den of conniving snakes, who had no idea who or what kind of man Hizashi was; would be easily controlled and through him, they would continue to control Neji.

 

Hizashi had known all this time. He’d dangled a future of freedom in front of Neji’s eyes, keeping him docile and submissive all this time. All this time, Neji had looked forward to a future that had never belonged to him, not even before he was conceived. That man, that stranger, that bastard child; his entire existence had in one fell swoop, destroyed Neji’s. Neji had never been an optimist. His outlook on the future bordered on fatalistic at this point.

 

~tbc~


End file.
